Sport Sedan Shootout
11 Nov, 2008
56 Comments 
- Introduction
- BMW 135i Coupe
- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution TC-SST
- Subaru Impreza WRX STi spec R
- Volkswagen Golf R32 4MOTION
- She Says
- Conclusion
- Specifications
2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi spec R
CarAdvice Rating: 
(4.00/5.00)
The Subaru WRX STi Spec R, with a name like that they don’t come much more iconic, yet the glow has dimmed a little in recent times and the latest iteration of the ‘Suby’ has come in for a far amount of criticism.
So what’s gone wrong, well for a start until right about now the ‘Rex” as it is affectionately know has only been available as a five-door hatch and that’s a big change for this car, which has always been a very popular sedan and had limited popularity as a hatch. The STi we should point out is still only available as a five-door hatchback.
There are reasons for this, of course, the US only buys sedans so all the initial production went there plus Subaru rightly divined that the hatch made a much better rally car so it wanted to concentrate on that version for its WRC campaign.
But none of this explains the general criticisms, the car is too plastic on the inside and too mainstream on the outside, and lacks some of the distinctive boxer-engine get-up-and-go.
Much of this of course is all part of Subaru’s plans to move the Impreza and its sporting sibling the WRX further into the mainstream market, for the very good reason of wanting to sell more cars.
Trouble is, with a car like the WRX that means softening it off, making it more acceptably comfortable and generally removing the hard edge that enthusiasts so loved.
So the STI carried the hopes of putting some of that old magic back into the WRX icon, and to a point it has, but on other scores it too has gone mainstream.
While the WRX looks were amorphous and apologetic, the STI looks chiselled and confident, it has pumped guards, purposeful looking vents in the front splitter -although on the road car they are essentially fake - and at the back four neat exhaust pipes poking out through a purposeful looking diffuser.
Under the bonnet things have also changed the 2.5-litre, turbocharged engine offers up a potent 221kW at 6000rpm and substantial torque of 407Nm at a reasonably tractable 4000rpm.
Just what you do with this extra performance and how you use it is down to a small round metal dial labelled “SI-DRIVE” just behind the six-speed gearshift.
You have three engine map settings to play with, Intelligent (I) for smooth and economical driving, Sport (S) for all round performance and Sport Sharp (S#) which the Subaru press kit says offers; “Truly dynamic engine performance”.
It’s all a very mundane way of saying you can sharpen the throttle response to racetrack precision should you want, and we can attest that it certainly makes a difference to how the car responds.
Thing is it’s very much a ‘wring the neck’ sort of performance, around town the STi almost feels sluggish and it’s only when you really put the boot into it that you really appreciate the performance that is on hand, which means that most of the time it all feels a bit muted.
Behind the “SI-DRIVE”, there’s another very interesting bit of technology, which is labelled “C-DIFF”. Subaru’s acronym for this is the DCCD (Driver’s Control Centre Differential). By moving the lever up or down, you can control the torque distribution between front and rear axles.
This means the drivetrain, too, is seriously trick, as the STi does not have the WRX’s viscous coupling in the centre differential. Instead it has a far faster-acting planetary differential with an electro-magnetically controlled clutch pack. What’s more, you can select the torque split manually, or leave it in auto and let an ECU do all the juggling based on inputs from yaw, pitch, steering angle and throttle position sensors.
If you were using the car on a track or trying your hand at some rally driving then there would be value in spending time learning to use this, for most people, and we did the same, the best bet is to just leave it in Auto and let the computer do the work.
As well there’s a six-speed gearbox, in place of the WRX’s five-speed unit, it works well and the ratio seem well-matched to the performance.
Suspension is basically the same as the WRX, but with uprated bushes and retuned dampers; the standard wheels are 17-inches in diameter, however on our Spec R car they are 18-inch BBS, but they’re an inch wider and shod with 235/Dunlop SP Sport.
The steering is still a speed-sensitive system but the STi has what Subaru calls a ‘fast rack’ and it certainly seems to feed the steering inputs in more quickly when you really start to hustle the car along.
The steering still isn’t big on communication, but does feel more direct and slightly weightier, which inspires more confidence when you’re attacking an unfamiliar road.
The ride has certainly lost most of its soft edges, so you feel the bigger tyres thumping over sharp undulations and breaks in the road surface, but the upside is a tauter ride, sharper turn-in, less pitch and roll, and reduced understeer.
If you are on the throttle, and coming into a corner, there’s some slight body roll. Keep yur nerve, turn in hard like you’re committed and the STi will hold the line perfectly and sort it all out for you.
Trouble is, like a lot about the STi it is only really effective when the car is being driven at 10-tenths and the trouble with that is that you cannot drive that way anywhere but on a racetrack.
Then you come to the interior and while there’s generous accommodation for four, and five at a pinch, with easy access through four doors it’s nothing special.
The rear seats are a bit flat and hard, the front seats were very nice leather and Alcantara faux race-seats produced by Recaro, the first such seats to incorporate side airbags, and they provided a good level of grip, although under extremes we found ourselves sliding around a bit too much in them.
The dash and centre console of the STI certainly looks better than the somewhat ‘low-rent’ affair in the standard WRX, having a nice touch-screen sat/nav unit and stereo head-unit, plus all the extra switches that go with the Si-Drive and the C-Diff to give it a more purposeful appearance, but there’s no getting away from the plastic look of most of it, not what you expect in a $60,000+ car!
In every race there are winners and losers and to fail in a four-horse race of champions is more about not producing the ‘little bit extra’ rather than being deficient in anything that really matters. We know full well that the Subaru WRX STi has its devotees, just as do the other competitors, but to us the ‘Suby’ just failed to chin the bar on the last attempt. That’s the way it is in this sort of company.
CarAdvice Overall Rating:
How does it Drive:
How does it Look:
How does it Go: 
- Introduction
- BMW 135i Coupe
- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution TC-SST
- Subaru Impreza WRX STi spec R
- Volkswagen Golf R32 4MOTION
- She Says
- Conclusion
- Specifications
Location: Home / Volkswagen, Lancer, Comparisons, Subaru, BMW, Behind the Wheel, Mitsubishi, Sports Cars / ...
Rate Post: 
(11 votes, average: 4.18 out of 5)
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November 11th, 2008 at 12:39 am
Glad someone set the record straight about iDrive, its become fashionable to bag it out, I never believed after so many revisions it could still be that difficult to use. Great review guys, id take any of these awesome cars
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November 11th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Excellent review. Is there an NDA in regards to the Evo’s 0-100 time ? :) Would of been nice to see that for all even though it’s trivial.
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November 11th, 2008 at 2:12 am
How is it a sport sedan shootout if ones a hatch and another’s a coupe? Well done Golf. I would get the five door but it is a very deserved win. In the Subaru, you’d look like a wanker and in the EVO, you’d look uncool (unless you’re a girl). The BMW is the one I’d get out of all of these because it’s still fantastic and it’s very understated and classy. I just can’t get past that poor Subaru’s looks. Such a shame. The EVO looks fantastic but I’d prefer the MR version you reviewed a few days ago. I think it would be really cool if VW put the Passat’s R36 engine in the next Golf and made a racing version.
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November 11th, 2008 at 2:15 am
Sorry, I just noticed that only one of them was a sedan. I thought the Subaru was a Sedan - I think you need to rethink your title CA.
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November 11th, 2008 at 5:11 am
Alex, from what I’ve read they are using the R36 in the new model! Happy days await!
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November 11th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Awesome review, but alas I may have to ’settle’ for the new model GTi next year.
My only ‘gripe’ would be that I would have been interested to see how the Mazda 3 MPS stacked up against this competition - any reason why it wasn’t included? I thought it had a similar power output to the R32?
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November 11th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Interesting result …… based on other reviews (magazines and websites), the result would nearly be a complete opposite if the review was based on purely the race track performance. Thanks CA for doing a review with the day to day practicality taken into account. I tend to spend most of my driving doing this day to day stuff rather than on the race track.
You should have also put a sound track of the R32 up for us to listen to.
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November 11th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Sensible review - great to see the “cheapie” win :)
There won’t be a MkVI Golf R32 or R36, the engine is too “dirty” for the next generation.
The replacement will be the GTI-R with AWD and rumoured 2.5l turbo (perhaps this should read “wished for pleeeeez” ) or more likely the 2.0l turbo with higher output of around 235kw
If you want to buy a Golf R32 (or GTI for that matter) you need to move fast.
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November 11th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Of course the R32 was going to win this.
So true R1, I think VW have pretty much finished MKV production. Snap ‘em up quick ppl!
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November 11th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Great article. I thought the R32 would win. It would be certainly be my choice too.
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November 11th, 2008 at 10:26 am
A very good review, but personally I would go for the WRX STi. People have different tastes, and i absolutely love the way the STi looks - espcially in a silver colour. I like the interior too, especially the front seats and you can’t beat that boxer burble. Tie that together with AWD and a reputation for quality and performance, and it’s my car. Although a new transmission…say a DSG out of the VW will be really good!
The BMW like you mentioned, has little grip. It’t not attractive, looks girly - and weighs too much (I have driven one).
The Evo, don’t like its styling, looks too similar too a VRX with different wheels and looks too boy racer - will see way too much of these on the road soon.
Finally, the R32. It is a great car, and sounds so good. Though the interior is so BORING. Just black, looks like a $23 grand entry model with a different steering wheel. Goes well though, but that exterior looks too plain. I think this car is for the 40+ aged. Doesn’t look too appealing.
Ofcourse, I would take any of them - and its a great review by CA!! But if i was getting one, I would get the STi.
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November 11th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Well done VW, they seem to be kicking plenty of goals at the moment. The 3.2 V6 is a very sweet engine, I have it in my current Passat 4 motion wagon, great car for the price and compared with other Euros on the market.
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November 11th, 2008 at 11:52 am
3 out of the 4 cars are not even sedans…. perhaps a different title would be more appropriate!
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November 11th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Geez, get over the title of the review. Focus on the content which is very good.
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November 11th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Quote by Tim
“The BMW like you mentioned, has little grip. It’t not attractive, looks girly - and weighs too much (I have driven one).”
Curious how you’d say it has little grip, AWD will make an ordinary driver look good, and a good driver look better. Cause around town, (read: easy driving) you’d never tell the difference.
And considering the BMW is the lightest car in the test, with the most power. Don’t really see how you could say it’s too heavy.
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November 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I would have liked to see how the Audi S3 stacked up to the competition in this one, given it’s price tag fits in between the BMW and Subaru. I can see how the R32 would be the easier one to live with, although personally I’d take the STi.
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November 11th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
BMW for me.
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November 11th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
“Sports sedan”?..more like comparo….sports sedans arwe m3, rs4 etc…
…Golf wind again :)
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November 11th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
The R32 is a fantastic all round car. Practical & full of thrills anytime I need it. Comfortable to drive for 6 hours & get out feeling great.
I had the Milteck 4″ sports exhaust fitted with flaps that open on heavy throttle openings (as in RS4)
Sounds so much better again. Up there with an Aston Vantage and the RS4 of course!
There are also rumours that the next version could get the supercharged 3.0l v6 out of the S4. Although probably detuned a little to save Audi the Top Spec.
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November 11th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
I’ve driven an R32 Golf, & it hangs on like an Ex-Wife.
Bit disappointed about the straight-line performance compared to my SS, but to be fair, the R32 only had approx 3000kms on the clock.
I’d certainly take the R32, & ten the Beemer, in that order.
Hard to justify the prices of the 2 Jap offerings, considering how long they’ve been around to amortise their development costs.
And th Subie is as ugly as a hatfull.
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November 11th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Great article CA. Brilliant cars all, but congratulations to VW for the R32 standing the test of time.
An awesome car and one of the top of my lotto win car list.
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November 11th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
^JasonP, you can’t honestly think the 1 series is better looking than the wrx.
Those poxy headlights and the arkward slab, ½ an M3 styling for $70K+, come on.
The front ¾ view has to be one of the worst looking bmws for years.
Granted, the R32 would be the pick of the litter though……………..
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November 11th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
^WVB,
At first I thought the new WRX/Impreza was not that bad looking (I even advocated the look on this very site). However as time goes by and I see it in more and more in pics with Evo’s, Beamers , VW’s etc as above; I have realised it was a poor choice of design.
In fact when that monkey wants his bum back Subaru will be in alot of trouble with no exterior design for their car.
In this company it is a shocker!!! That said I drive a Peugeot 207 and I love the look, so each to their own.
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November 11th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Thanks CA. That’s a good article and offers plenty of insight. I’m pleased the R32 has tickled your fancy too.
I’d be really interested to hear whether you get feedback from the car makers… particularly Subaru, to hear whether they acknowledge / appreciate the feedback. I sure hope Subaru learn stuff from these forums or if they even care? Cheers.
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November 11th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
^jimbo, lol, peugeot’s current styling? nuff said.
tell me you like the look of the 1 series tho.
we better not escalate this debate too much as we’ll likely get moderated!
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November 11th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
WVB (if that really is your name! :-) ),
Hand on heart, yes the BMW 1 Series looks better than the WRX.
Each WRX looks worse than the last model, & there seems no prospect of Subie ever building a good looking one.
If they would just build one that doesn’t look too offensive, you’d be hard pressed not to buy one. How many would/could they sell if it looked good?
What’s even more puzzling, are those who buy the Impreza, but not the WRX model.
I guess you get 2 cars in one:- Ugly & Slow.
For now though, the WRX isn’t even a possibility, let alone on the short list.
Why would you pass over the R32 in this company?
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November 11th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
…………looks aside i reckon the STi carried itself pretty well in front of the cameras on ep7 of TGA with the tiger chopper.
steve’s comments were pretty palatable and if the only gripe he had was understeer, that’s fixed with a rear torsion bar change, an anti-lift kit and a proper read of the i-drive settings instead of figuring it on the fly like everyone does.
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November 11th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
^WVB….lol….chalk and cheese we must be as I really like the 1 series sorry. Oh well this site would be boring if we all agreed all the time.
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November 11th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
^jason, i didnt pass on the R32.
i said it was the pick.
tho u may have guessed i am partial to the odd fuji ind product as a current owner.
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November 11th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
WVB,
Yeah each to his or her own.
I still love a good V8, so I’m a tragic.
Just can’t see the money in the Beemer.
If I had to go Nippon,I’d take the current Evo.
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November 11th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
wow the evo’s a lil over priced for wat u get dont u thnk? come on 70k for that
that costs more than an f6 wow i thought it was gonna b like 50k but 70k wow
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November 11th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
1. 135i
2. STI
3. EVO
4. R32
That’s my choice. I’ve owned a few rex before, but I think i’m over with awd. I wanna have a little action and go for FR (135i).
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November 11th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Wow, this is so opposite to what i would choose. But than again, i can lose a bit of daily usage for some real world performance.
The R32 is slow by modern standards, it is hardly even in the same class as these cars.
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November 11th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
The 1 Series is without a doubt better looking than the Subaru. The 1 Series is not one of the best looking BMWs ever, but it really is so much better looking in the metal. The Subaru is worse looking in the metal. It’s just so ugly and already looks outdated. The Mitsubishi is very well price. You can get a car that has the performance of a super car for more than $200,000 less than a lot of exotics! (provided you pick the right engine)
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November 11th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
^Tom…..0.6s behind the Evo in a straight line. Put them around a track and I’m guessing (Keeping the 5th Gear GTI/WRX comparison on youtube in mind) that +0.6s will not count for much. That is without the DSG that will shave some more time off the 0-100. More to the point we are talking real world driving!!!!!!
“Hardly even in the same class”……Clown!
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November 11th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Yes, I too wanted to bitch about the usage of the word sedan in this article. However, after a little research, it turns out the word sedan describes ‘a car that is closed and that has front and rear seats and two or four doors’. According to Dictionary.com. Therefore, it would appear CA’s usage is appropriate. Same deal with Citroen calling the C4 a Saloon. There is no rule against it. Indeed, ’saloon’ and ’sedan’ can be used interchangeably.
Sorry if that was a bit wowserish. Just wanted to set the issue straight.
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November 11th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Jimbo
You can’t really compare track times between the EVO X and the R32-I would be confident that the EVO X would thrash the R32 around a track -especially a tight/twisty one.
I have said previously that Golfs GTIs /R32s are great all rounders but they are found a little wanting in the performance area-That’s why so many of them are “chipped” especially the GTIs.
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November 11th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Not sure about the other cars but I’ve heard a R32 in traffic at full noise, and gee it sounds good. I like cars that beg you to down shift for no other reason than to hear the engine note. The world needs more cars like this that don’t cost over $100K.
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November 12th, 2008 at 10:59 am
all great cars and a good review, but if imo if i wanted a real sports car i would but the STI, because of the boxer burble the excellant 10/10ths handling, the top end power rush and a proper 6 speed manual sports gbox. If i wanted something more sedate to drive every day , i would save over $20k and order the new my09 wrx sedan, get 195kw still, but more bottom end torque and more comfy ride,but still fun to drive with anough power for day to day and still have awd grip and a proper manual gbox..
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November 12th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Being a fellow Golf Punker myself I think the Golf 5 R32 is ONE OF the best all round sports car for the price, the fact that it is almost $8,000 cheaper than the Golf 4 R32 is bloody brilliant.
That is my point of view though and many people don’t care as much about all round qualities and prefer pure driver involvement and experience, and so they should opt for the 日本のロケット, particularly I think the modern day Zero fighter!
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November 12th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
evolution 0-100 in 5.9secs? Can someone please double check?
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November 12th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Great review, shame I’ll never afford any of these… maybe a Ralliart Lancer one day…
Anyway - I would have been interested to know - how does the Audi S3 stack up agains these? It is the 1/2 brother of the R32, but with a gruntier Turbo 2Ltr engine, better interior (so I believe) and is priced about the same as the Evo/STI reviewed (or at least less than the BMW?).
Any reasons it was not also chosen in the review??
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November 12th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Good article, shame it was lacking the s3… it would have been interesting to see where its placed as its pretty much aimed at the r32
has anyone heard or read anywhere that BMW may be putting their turbo 6 in the next z4?
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November 12th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I wanted the sti to win then 135i next evo x then r32.
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November 12th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
“[…]Models Tested:
BMW E87 135i coupe 3.0-litre, manual - $72,230 […]”
This is not correctly. This is not the BMW E87 Model, it is the BMW E82 Model! And where are the breaking specifications? I think this would be an important & interesting aspect…
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November 12th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Themarvel:
Audi were contacted for an S3 but one wasn’t available, according to them.
Having driven the S3, I believe it would be well and truly given some of the cars in this lineup a run for their money.
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November 13th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Well if we take the strictest sense of the word, these could be sedans, but really, one oen is. Anyhow, no big deal. I think this is a good comparo, but perhaps this could be re-done again, only with an S3 4 door hatch 9sorry ’sedan) and the new 09 wrx.
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November 14th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
One point that surprised me in this comparison was the comment that the Golf R32 employs Volkswagen’s “4MOTION full-time four-wheel drive system”.
Er… does it?
Last time I checked, this car had a reactive Haldex clutch based 4WD system, much like the previous Mark IV Golf R32, and the previous shape Bora V6 4MOTION, and the Audi S3 etc.. such that it’s front wheel drive until the front wheels slip.
By all means, correct me if I’m wrong. I would like to think the R32 DID operate a proper full time four wheel drive system. It would certainly be very good value for comfortably under $60,000 in this context.
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November 14th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
WTF Only the Evo is a sedan, the Beemer is a coupe, and the Golf and Subie are hatches.
Good review though.
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November 18th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
For anyone interested, you can check out a video clip on the R32 accelerating on our Facebook page, just click this link:
http://www.facebook.com/video/.....9493679752
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November 18th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Good review. Whilst not the fastest, R32 is a great all-arounder. Would have been good to perhaps include teh passat R36 sedan also.
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November 19th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I think the 135i and R32 look classy in the metal. The fact that the 3 x turbomills in this comparison can be upped in power with a freer flowing exhaust will further the difference in performance they offer.
The 135i is the true street machine here, whilst the Evo & Sti are track & wet/offroad weapons. I could imagine myself smoking the rears of the 135i with the kids in the back…
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November 22nd, 2008 at 3:32 am
doof
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December 9th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
As an owner of a recently purchased 2007 R32 5 door with a DSG gearbox, your report is spot on! A beautifully built and superbly optioned car that is a great day to day drive and simply exhilarating when you give a bit of stick! Just one tip when driving it hard…windows down and radio off!!!… that exhaust note is simply insane!!!
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December 14th, 2008 at 11:01 am
I’m confused CarAdvice!!!! You call this the “Sport Sedan Shootout” When there is only one sedan in the WHOLE bloody test!!!!!!!!!!!!
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December 23rd, 2008 at 9:04 am
Duck says:
“I’m confused CarAdvice!!!! You call this the “Sport Sedan Shootout” When there is only one sedan in the WHOLE bloody test!!!!!!!!!!!! ”
My sentiments exactly! The STi and R32 are hatchbacks, the 135 is a coupe leaving the EVO as the only sedan… meaning it should win by default no? lol :)
Call me a traditionalist but isn’t someone who buys a sportscar after something sporty? Comfort and practicality would be a distant second and third for a purist.
A better title for this review would have been Germany v Japan under $75k!
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